Glabrous. Rhizome creeping, up to 1.5 cm diam., closely set with cordlike, unramified roots 10-20 cm by 3-5 mm, densely clothed by the persistent fibrous strands of the decayed leaves; air-channels wide, interrupted by in sicco prominent 3-4 mm spaced septations. Sheath c. 15 cm long. Leaves 30-150 by 1.25-1.75 cm, with rounded or obtuse apex, often distorted, mostly damaged; nerves 13-19, midrib and intramarginal nerves coarser than the others; c. 30-40 air-channels parallel with the nerves, visible outside as a fine striping, with irregularly (4-7 mm) spaced septations; margins thickened by coarse, very tough vascular bundles persistent and nigrescent after the decay of the parenchymatic tissue and remaining attached to the rhizome. ♂ Peduncle terete, 5-10 cm, submerged. Spathe broadly ovate-lance-olate, obtuse, 5 by 3 cm, faintly keeled, keel and nerves provided with many long, rough hairs, before anthesis closed, in anthesis gaping at the apex, margins rolled. Pedicels 3-12 mm, unequal, very thin, breaking off c. 1/3-1/2 mm below the flowers. Sepals clear white, oblong, acute, reflexed, c. 2 mm long. Petals clear white, ovate, acute, reflexed, broader than the sepals, c. 1.75 mm long, cuticle very papillose and waxy. Stamens white, erect, 1.5-1.75 mm long; pollen grains spherical, with very fine-reticulate surface, without intine, 170-175 μ diam. Female peduncle c. 40-50 cm, sometimes even longer, after anthesis coiled and contracted, in fruit unrolled again. Spathe oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, strongly keeled, 4-6 by 1-2 cm, keel and nerves with many, long, rough hairs, before anthesis closed, after anthesis gaping at the apex, margins not curled up. Sepals reddish, oblong, glabrous, with rounded apex and recurved margins. Petals clear white, finally with reddish apex, oblong-linear, 4-5 cm by 3-4 mm, strongly folded but after pollination smooth, with waxy, papillose surface. Ovary laterally compressed, densely set with long fringelike hairs; style branches subulate, c. 10-12 mm, densely covered with linear papillae except at the tip. Fruit ovate, c. 5-7 cm, green, lengthwise ribbed, alternating ribs provided with a black, upwards directed hairy fringe continuing in the acuminate apex, irregularly bursting at the apex when ripe. Seeds 1-1.5 cm.
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Rhizomes to 1.5 cm diam.; internodes short. Roots 3–5 mm thick. Leaves enclosed in basal sheaths to 15 cm long; blade 30–150 cm long, 1.25–1.5 cm wide, thickened adaxially on margins. Male inflorescence with peduncle 5–10 cm long; spathe bracts broadly ovate, c. 5 × 3 cm, slightly keeled. Male flower with thin pedicel 3–12 mm long; sepals oblong, c. 2 mm long, acute, white; petals ovate, c. 1.75 mm long, white, both sepals and petals reflexed after anthesis; stamens 1.5–1.8 mm long; anthers elliptic, each locule with 2 rows of pollen grains, each row with c. 12 pollen grains; pollen grain globose, c. 175 μm diam. Female inflorescence with peduncle 40–50 cm long; spathe bracts ovate, 40–60 × 10–20 mm, strongly keeled. Female flowers: sepals oblong, c. 15 mm long, reddish; petals oblong-linear, 40–50 mm long; ovary ovoid, laterally compressed, c. 10 × 6 cm, densely hairy; style branches 5–12 mm long, mostly papillate. Fruit ovoid, 2.5–6 × 1.5–3.5 cm, acuminate; pericarp fleshy, splitting into irregular valves at apex. Seeds c. 10–12, obconic, c. 1–1.5 cm diam.
Stems up to 1.5 cm. in diameter, mid-brown to dark brown.. Leaves 30–110(–150) cm. long, 0.7–1.7 cm. wide, bright to dark green; sheaths compressed, up to 15 cm. long, whitish, translucent and somewhat membranous.. Male spathe: peduncle up to 5–10 cm. long; bracts ± 5 cm. long, ± 3 cm. wide, with somewhat inrolled margins, light brown.. Male flowers with pedicels 3–12 mm. long; sepals ± 2 mm. long, ± 1 mm. wide, white; petals ± 1.75 mm. long, ± 1.25 mm. wide, white; stamens with anthers 1.5–1.75 mm. long, white.. Female spathe: peduncle up to 50 cm. long; bracts 3–6 cm. long, 1–2 cm. wide, the margins not inrolled, brown.. Female flower: sepals ± 1 cm. long, 0.5 cm. wide, reddish; petals 4–5 cm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, white with a reddish apex; ovary up to 5 cm. long, ± 5 mm. wide; stigmas 10–12 mm. long.. Fruit 2.5–5(–7) cm. long, 2.2–3 cm. wide, green or dark brown to almost black.. Seeds 10–15 mm. long, ± 12 cm. wide, brown.. Fig. 8, p. 21.
Roots robust, 10-20 cm, 3-5 mm in diam. Leaves 0.3-1.5 m × 1-2 cm, veins 13-19, margin entire, apex obtuse. Peduncle of male inflorescences ca. 5 cm; bracts sessile, slightly keeled, midvein hairy; male flowers pedicellate; sepals white, oblong, ca. 2 mm; petals white, larger than sepals; stamens white, 1.5-2 mm. Peduncle of female flower to 50 cm, coiled and contracted after anthesis; bracts 4-6 × 1-2 cm, midvein keeled, apparently hairy; sepals reddish; petals white, strap-shaped, strongly folded, 4-5 cm × 3-4 mm, papillose; ovary ovoid, with long hairs. Fruit ovoid, 5-7 cm. Seeds angular, 1-1.5 cm in diam. Fl. May.
A herb or coarse sea grass with ribbon like leaves that arise from the base of the plant and can be 150 cm x 1 cm. Flowers are borne on long rather slender stalks. Fruit are about 2 to 3 cm across and contain 8 or 9 green seeds. The seeds are about 1 cm across. Underground there is a root-like stem covered with leafy fibres.
Along shallow sheltered sea-coasts, gregarious and covering large areas with a closed vegetation on sandy and muddy bottoms often mixed with coarser material. The most luxuriant Enhalus stands are found in the small depressions on tidal flats between the levels of mean low water and mean low water spring; it goes down, however, to c. 4 m depth, flowering only in such places, where it is emerged periodically for a short time during spring-ebb. On reefs it is developed less well. At low tide the leaves lie flabby and nearly exposed on the bottom of shallow pools, all directed seaward by the off-flow of the water. The leaves are mostly covered with a thin film of mud-particles. Enhalus is absent from tracts where many rivers debouch into the sea.
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A tropical plant. They occur in the Philippines from Luzon to Mindanao and growing in salt water. They are abundant in shallow bays. This grass grows on sandy and muddy shores in sea water up to 4 m deep. It grows in salt water. It does not grow near rivers where fresh water flows into the sea.
Grows on intertidal reef platforms and in tidal channels to 5 m deepbelow low tide level.
Submerged in shallow sea water along the coast. Usually found growing in muddy soils.
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